Government to raise payments to state insurers to plug health funding gap

The governing parties have agreed to raise more money for the healthcare
system by raising payments to state health insurers. The fees should
increase from the start of July and bring some CZK 2.1 million. That sum
would compensate for a fall-off in health care funding caused by the
centre-left government’s abolishment of fees for hospital stays. Some six
million people will see their contribution to the state insurers increase
from CZK 787 to CZK 845 a month. In the run-up to Wednesday’s decision
the coalition parties had expressed disagreement on the matter.

Office of Government faces large fine over EU presidency contract

The tax authorities have fined the Office of the Government more than half
a billion crowns for paying an excessively high sum to a company for
audiovisual services during the Czech presidency of the EU in 2009, Právo
reported on Wednesday. The Office of the Government is considering
appealing, the newspaper said. An official told Czech Television the fine
could prove fatal to the institution, as it was many times its annual
budget. Investigators said the company ProMoPro had received over CZK 380
million more than it should have for the provision of audiovisual services.
No tender was held for the contract. Twelve people have been charged in
connection with the matter.

Supreme court sets acceptable amounts for possession of illicit drugs

The Supreme Court has set the amounts of illicit drugs that the police and
judiciary should regard as “more than a small amount”. The new figures
are stricter than the previous ones in the case of marijuana, with
possession of 10 grammes (down from 15) considered a criminal offence.
Similarly possessing 1.5 grammes (down from 2) of meta-amphetamines is
illegal. However, the amounts are for orientation and other factors also
apply, a court spokesperson said. Upper limits for possession were
previously set by a government edict, but that was struck down by the
Constitutional Court.

The head of the European Commission, Jose Barroso, and the president of the
European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, have turned down invitations to attend
an EU Eastern Partnership conference at Prague Castle on April 24 and 25,
Lidové noviny reported on Wednesday. The EU’s foreign affairs chief,
Catherine Ashton, is also not coming, the newspaper said. Czech Foreign
Minister Lubomír Zaorálek said the senior EU officials were currently
preoccupied by the Ukraine crisis. Mr. Van Rompuy is due in Prague on April
30, the eve of the 10th anniversary of Czech accession to the EU.

Zeman describes Orban as “genuine leader” in message of congratulations

The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, says the recently reelected Hungarian
prime minister, Viktor Orban, is a genuine leader, a type lacking in
contemporary politics. Mr. Zeman made the comment in a message of
congratulations to Mr. Orban after his Fidesz party came first in elections
at the weekend. Mr. Zeman wrote that the strength of support regularly won
by the party showed that Hungarians also regarded Mr. Orban as a genuine
leader.

Survey: Babiš most trusted politician

Finance minister and ANO chief Andrej Babiš is the country’s most
trustworthy politician, suggests an opinion poll conducted by the CVVM
agency at the start of last month. Some 53 percent of respondents said they
trusted Mr. Babiš, who is also a billionaire businessman. He was followed
in the survey by his ANO colleague Martin Stropnický, who is minister of
defence. Recent opinion polls have put ANO ahead of the Social Democrats,
who came first in elections in October.

Czech annual inflation sticks at 0.2 in March

The annual rate of Czech consumer price inflation stayed at 0.2 percent in
March, unchanged from its rate in February, the Czech Statistics Office
announced on Wednesday. Price rises were slightly lower than most economic
analysts expected. The biggest factors in pushing up prices were the cost
of food and non-alcoholic drinks. Ongoing cuts in the price of electricity
and natural gas forced through by the national energy regulator last year
have helped to subdue inflationary pressure. The latest figures will again
tend to vindicate the Czech National Bank’s assertion that its weak crown
policy is not pushing up prices for consumers.

Protectorate guide wins top Magnesia literary prize

A near 800 page book about Prague under the Nazi Protectorate was awarded
the book of the year prize at the annual Magnesia Litera awards on Tuesday
night. Author Jiří Padevět’s Průvodce protectorátní Prahou (Guide
to Protectorate Prague) lists key localities where the Nazi authorities,
collaborators, and opponents were located as well as details of how and
where key incidents, such as the assassination of Reinhardt Heydrich and
Prague uprising at the end of the war, took place. Many of the photographs
used in the book were being made public for the first time.

Contemporary artists pay tribute to Kryl at Prague concert

A tribute concert to the late Czech protest singer Karel Kryl was held at
the Grand Hall of Prague’s Lucerna on Tuesday night. Artists such as
Tomáš Klus, Aneta Langerová, Markéta Irglová and Michal Hrůza
performed songs written by Kryl, who was born 70 years ago this Saturday.
After the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia the anti-communist
musician emigrated to West Germany, from where he broadcast to his
compatriots on Radio Free Europe. He died in 1994 at the age of 49.

Kvitová to lead Czechs in Fed Cup semi-final tie with Italy

World number six Petra Kvitová will lead the Czech women’s tennis team
in a Fed Cup semi-finals tie with defending champions Italy in Ostrava next
weekend. Kvitová had missed the last round due to illness. The other
members of the team are Lucie Šafářová, Klára Koukalová and doubles
specialist Andrea Hlaváčková. If the Czechs get past the Italians it
will be their third appearance in the final in four years.